Articulated wiper blade



June 16, 1953 A RAPPL ARTICULATED WIPER BLADE Filed Dec. 20 1946INVENTOR Anton E0 ATTORN EY Patented June 16, 1953 ARTICULATED WIPERBLADE Anton Rappl, Eggertsville, N. Y., assignor to Trico ProductsCorporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application December 20, 1946, Serial No. 717,543

8 Claims. (Cl. 15245) This invention relates to the windshield cleaningart and has particular reference to a wiper for curved windshieldsurfaces.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a arm. The arm has a mountingsection 3 and an outer wiper carrying section 4 which is pivotallyjoined to the mounting section 3 by pivot 5 and is urged at its outerend toward the windshield I by means of a spring leaf 6.

2 The wiper itself comprises a plurality of relatively movablechanneledholders 1 and 1' arranged in a longitudinal series over the back of theunitary rubbery wiping body 8. The wipcleaner for curved Windshields inwhich the 5 ing body may be molded, or it may be composed rubber wipingelement was given support along of a plurality of rubber plies arrangedin stepped its back edge with a series of rigid backing eleorder, asillustrated in Fig. 2. The channeled ments, such as by the channeledholders emholders are clamped over the back margin of ployed in themanufacture of the well-known the body thereby leaving the oppositemargin to straight edge wiping blade. In such prior con- 19 serve as awiping edge. A bridge member 9 has structionthe adjacent ends of thebacking eleits opposite ends connected to the blade reinments were freeto move relative to each other forcement l by'pivots lil which latterextend and therefore were likely to become relatively transversely ofthe body-in order that the end offset with the result that the wipingedge of holders may individually pivot thereon. This the squeegeeelement would become distorted, or leaves the i termediate o der or hols possibly buckle, in a manner to leave streaks where more than two areutilized, suspended beacross the field of vision with a resultantimtween the end holders by the resilient wiping pairment of visiontherethrough. body which extends continuously through the The object ofthe present invention is to proseveral channels. An attaching device llprovide a blade of this character in which the wipvides a means ofconnection between the outer ing edge is maintained'in proper and fullcontact end of the wiper c y arm and the bridge with the surface beingacted upon for a more member 9. elficient functioning. In accordancewith the present invention, Again, the invention has for its object topromeans are provided to give guiding support to the videacurvedwindshield wiper in which the back adj cent s o t ho a t to s onal ingstructure is of articulated design to give a and lateral stresses. Suchsuppo means are definite or controlled flexibility to the blade forherein shown as longitudinal extensions from the better conformance ofthe wiping edge to changes opposed side walls of the channeled holdersand in the surface contour of the windshield as the are designed. tostraddle and Overlap the Side wiper is moved thereacrosg. walls of theadjacent channeled member. The The foregoing and other objects willmanifest straddling arran m n m y be f li by themselves as the followingdescription prooffsetting the eXteIISiOIIS rs o y, gresses, whereinreference is made to the accoms Shown at in ThiS provides a npanyingdrawing in which; struction in which the adjacent ends of adjoin- Fig. 1is a side elevation of a wiper blade eming holders are given l t ppagainst bodying the present invention, the blade being relative sideWiSedisplacement as well as resistshown in its operative position upon afraganee st t sio al St ains. mentary portion of the windshield; Theguiding and Supporting ears l2 y ride Fi 2 is a, transverse section takabo t n freely over the side faces of the straddled holder, line 11-11of Fig. 1; 4 or they may be confined against such relative Fig. 3 is anenlarged fragmentary view of a, movement by providing the ears withtrunnionwiper in id elev ti n; like projections I4 to engage in thelongitudinal- Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a 1y extendingside grooves l5 of the holders, such modified wiper in plan; and groovesresulting from the formation'of the in- Fig. '5 is afragmentary showingof'the modified ternal ribs 1 the S Walls Of the Channel form of wiperwhich serve toclamp the wiper body in place. Referring re particularly tth d wi The trunnion-like projections M are herein ilthe numeral ldesignates the windshi ld of a lustrated as being pressed inwardly fromthe motor vehicle at the lower side of which is jourears to nest freelywithin the grooves l5 for naled a shaft 2 for actuating a wiper carrying6 sliding as well as pivotal movement. The ears l2 may be formed on bothends of an intermediate channel holder, as shown in Fig. l, or they maybe shown on corresponding ends of a series of successive channelholders, as shown in Fig. 5, wherein the end holder is devoid of anyears whatsoever; thus indicating that the ears may be arranged asdesired to accomplish the intended functional operation.

This construction provides a simple interlock between the adjacentsections and imparts a flexibility to the blade backing in which thechanneled holderconstitute chain links. The trunnion and grooveinterlock is the equivalent of the chain-link connecting pin playingloosely in elongated holes or slots. Therefore, each link embraces theback edge of the wiping body and is free, to a limited extent, totelescope as well as to move from the companion link as the. rub.- bercontracts and stretches.

For example, when the wiping edgepasses onto a surface of less radius,thereby giving asharper curve, the back margin will elongate as. thetrunnions slide in the grooves IS. A reverse action will follow when thewiper passes onto a curved surface of increased radius.

Furthermore, it will be noted that. the. wiping edge will be actingin'tcnsionbetween the spaced suspension points ID on the bridgeConsequently, the suspended intermediate links 1 will be retainedoperatively related tothe endv links "i byreason of the guiding. supportof the ears. Thus, the single wiping edge is given practical supportagainst buckling between the links of the articulated backing. Thereinforcing links are held against lateral and vertical movementrelative to. each other.

The foregoing. description has been given in detail forvease ofunderstanding and not by way of limitation since the inventiveprinciples in.-

volved arecapable of assuming other physical embodiments withoutdeparting. from the inventive teaching as expressed in the appendedclaims. Obviously, the holders could be simple links embedded in therubber body and tel-escopically connected one to the other in. anequivalent mannen' What is claimed is:

l. A wiper comprising a flexible body having a wiping edge along onmargin, a series. of. elongate backing members arranged end to end alongthe opposite margin of the body for reinforcing the same, and an archedsupporting bridge pivotally connected at its opposite ends to points onthe end members intermediate their ends for enabling the end members. torocktoward and from the windshield surface, there being. a backingmember intermediate the end members which is suspended by the body freeof the bridge and which gives support to the body portion between suchend members.

2. A wiper comprising a flexible body having a wiping edge along onemargin, a serie of links arranged end to end along the opposite marginof the body for reinforcing the same, an arched supporting bridgepivotally connected at its opposit ends to points on the end linksintermediate their ends for enabling the end links'to swing toward andfrom the windshield surface, there being a link intermediate the endlinks which is suspended by the flexible body free of the bridge andgives sup-port to the body portion between such end links, andsupporting means flexibly connecting th adjacent/ends of the two end andintermediate links together.

3. A wiper comprising a flexible body having a wiping edge along onemargin, a series of links arranged endto end along the opposite marginof the body for reinforcing the same, an arched supporting bridgepivotally connected at its opposite ends to points on the end linksinter.-

A mediate their ends for enabling the end links to swing toward and fromthe windshield surface, there being a link intermediate the end linkswhich is suspended by the body free of the bridge and which givessupport to the body portion between such end links, each link having achannel embracing said opposit margin, and supporting means flexiblyconnecting the adjacent ends of. the links together at both channelsides. 4'. A wiper comprising a; flexible body having a wiping edgealong one margin, a series of links arranged end to end along theopposite margin .mediate their ends for enabling the end links to swingtoward and from the windshield surface, there being a link intermediatethe end links which is suspended by the body free of the bridge andwhich gives support to the body portion b tween. such end links, eachlink being of channel'e'd form with the side walls. of the channelhaving longitudinal grooves therein, certain side walls having endextensions receiving the adjacent end of' an adjoining link, withprojections pressed from th straddling extensions into the grooves forsliding and pivoting movement.

5. A. wiper comprising a flexible body" having a, wiping edge along onemargin, a metal backing along the opposite margin of the body forreinforcing the sam and including longitudinally spaced elongate membersextending lengthwise of the body, an arched supporting bridge pivotallyconnected at its opposite ends to points on the eiongate membersintermediate their ends for affording pivotal movement of the members inconforming the opposite end portions of the body to the windshieldsurface, there being a portion of the metal backing intermediate theadjacent ends of the elongate members having direct telescopingcontactwith such adjacent ends to support said intermediate portion insuspension and normally free of the'bridge to give support to the, bodyportion betweensuch elongate members, and meansby which the bridge maybe attached to an actuating arm.

6. A. wiper for curved surfaces, comprising a flexible body having awiping edge along one margin, a'supporting'bridge having meansintermediate it ends for attaching an actuating arm thereto,longitudinally spaced pressure distributmg. members extending lengthwiseof the body and movably connected to the opposite ends of the bridge forrocking relative to the latter in conforming the opposite end portionsof the body to the windshield surface, backing means held in suspensionby the inner adjacent ends of said pressure distributing members forgiving support to the flexible body portion intermediate said innerends, and means formed on said inner adjacent ends of said pressuredistributing members contacting said backing means and having direct,sliding connection, therewith.

'7. A wiper for cleaning a curved surface, comprising an elongated bladeflexible for conforming to the surface curvature, a bridge memberextending lengthwise of the blade and having an arm attaching portion,longitudinally spaced backing members giving support to the blade andeach being connected intermediate its ends to an end of the bridgemember for rocking there- 'on to conform the adjacent end portion of theblade to the surface, and means positioned between said backing memberscontacting each of the same and having'd-irect sliding flexibleconnection therewith to provide one continuous flexible support for theflexible blade from one end to the other end of the bridge member, the

inner ends of said backing members being spaced from each other adistance substantially equal to the length of either backing member.

8. A wiper comprising a flexible elongate body having a wiping edgealong one margin, a pair of elongate channeled backing members arrangedin spaced relation along the opposite margin of the body for supportingthe same, an arched supporting bridge pivotally connected at itsopposite ends to points on the backing mem bers intermediate their endsfor surface conforming adjustment about transverse axes, and a 15 thirdchanneled member interposed between and having its opposite endspivotally interlocking with th inner ends of th air of channeled membersfor surface conformance, said third 6 channel embracing the body andgiving intermediate support to the medial body portion independently ofthe bridge.'

